The Hasna Sultanate
Introduction The Hasna Sultanate is one of Bolei's newer nations, yet at the same time one of its oldest. Formed from the ashes of the ancient Oladai Empire, this new nation's sole goal is to fend off the orcs which patrol the deserts due west of their mighty stone bastions. The name Hasna is derived from the ancient empire's greatest king, Ahmad Hasna the Great, an emperor famous for his conquest of Qendath. While the Hasna Sultanate and the Oladai culture were revived by the Rin Empire, and therefore forever indebted to them, Rin in no way rules the Oladai people. Instead the two nations peacefully negotiate, the standard terms entail that the Sultanate will protect Rin from invasion so long as Rin supplies them with food and tools. Culture As ancient as the stone and sand they walk upon, the Oladai people are stubbornly proud of their culture and history. Festivals of remembrance and thanks to allies both old and new are held every so often to make sure that the people are grateful of all that the world has offered them. Though for every festival there is also an army drill to whip new recruits into soldiers fierce enough to take on the green enemies that lay in the dunes beyond the city walls. Fiery and prideful, Oladai soldiers are known to fight to the death in some circumstances, whilst their military strategists are hailed as some of the most expert in all of Bolei. The Oladai People The men and women of Qendath's eastern shore differ in colour depending on whichever region they are from. The men of the north typically have a tan to dark complexion, whilst the men of the southern lands are more often a great deal darker than their cousins to the north. Their hair and eye colours are similar to those of other humans, with no real differences to note. Clothing is fairly light in order to counter the heat of Qendath, turbans and shawls worn from the head down to the shoulders are common in both men and women. Architecture The great works of architecture seen throughout the sultanate would be similar to buildings seen in our Middle East. Turkish domes, Arabian fortresses, and Egyptian tombs and cities are all good inspiration when building in the style of the Oladai people. Government The Oladai people are ruled by Sultan Yatam al Khalusar, a man who holds total control of both internal affairs, as well as the army. The Sultan has a parliament of ministers, who are normally wealthy landowners, that offer criticism without the fear of being persecuted by authorities. Each week the parliament convenes in the palace to discuss the current matters at hand, and heavy debate is had over what should be done, and what needs to be accomplished. The Sultan's son or appointed heir takes the throne upon the death of the current leader, women cannot inherit. History Thousands of years ago, the Oladai Empire stretched into west of Qendath. With legions of slave-soldiers trained from childhood as their primary tool for removing orcs from a region, the Oladai expanded rapidly in a period known as The Eclipse, referring to the legend of archers blocking out the sun with the sheer quantity of arrows fired. The empire stretched, and consumed two smaller human cultures to the south, effectively saving them from orc hostilities. Though in the midst of the glory, terror struck when a drought hit many of the Oladai's rivers. The caravans of dried fish stopped, and the men on the frontline starved. Back home famine was rife as cattle and man alike fell ill to mysterious diseases brought on by swarms of vicious rats. This moment of weakness was a window of opportunity for orcish armies, and their charge spearheaded through Oladai defences. Routed and scattered across the dunes, many perished to the dryness and heat of the desert. In only a few years, orc forces had sent nearly all of the Oladai people into hiding. The final coup de grace would be the fall of Khudal, the empire's capital. After that, all was lost, and much like her soldiers, the Oladai Empire would wither away in the sands of her homeland. Before being revived into modernity by Rinish colonists and diplomats, the Oladai people lived somewhat nomadically until being gathered once more in the ruins of Khudal. Since Rin's refounding of the Oldai Empire as the Hasna Sultanate, Khudal has returned to its days of glory as a thriving hub of trade, wealthy, and posterity. Category:Places